Product Development Technologist

Premier Foods; Worksop; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension and life assurance

Sharesave scheme and holiday purchase

Extensive learning and development

Employee discount scheme

Job summary

Premier Foods in Worksop is seeking an R&D Technologist to join our Worksop team, driving products from concept through to launch. You will work closely with Operations, Marketing, Procurement, Quality and Supply Chain to deliver innovative food solutions that meet consumer needs.

Ideal candidates will have FMCG product development experience, knowledge of processing and ingredients, and a strong grasp of food safety and regulatory standards, with a proactive, collaborative mindset and drive for

Qualifications

• Experience in food product development within an FMCG or manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of food processing, ingredients and product formulation.
• Understanding of food safety, quality and regulatory requirements.
• Strong problem‑solving and critical‑thinking skills.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects.
• A collaborative approach and confidence working with cross‑functional teams.
• A commercial mindset and passion for delivering products consumers love.
• The drive to continuously learn, challenge the status quo and bring fresh ideas to the table

Responsibilities

• Developing new products aligned with category growth and innovation strategies.
• Managing multiple development projects from concept through to launch.
• Creating formulations, recipes, specifications and technical documentation.
• Leading laboratory, kitchen, pilot plant and factory trials.
• Supporting product reformulation projects to improve quality, nutrition, sustainability and cost effectiveness.
• Troubleshooting processing and quality challenges during scale-up.
• Conducting sensory assessments, benchmarking and product evaluations.
• Researching emerging ingredients, technologies and consumer trends.
• Ensuring compliance with food safety, legal and customer requirements.
• Building strong relationships with suppliers, manufacturing teams and technical partners.

Skills

Product development

Food processing

Regulatory compliance

Problem solving

Organisational skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Commercial mindset

Learning mindset

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Join Premier Foods — where people, brands and purpose come together.

We’re proud to be one of the UK’s largest listed food businesses, with over 4,000 colleagues across 13 sites shaping the future of some of Britain’s best‑loved brands, found in 94% of households nationwide, making us one of the UK’s top three ambient food suppliers. From much‑loved household names such as Mr Kipling, Bisto, Oxo, Batchelors and Sharwoods, to our recently welcomed brands Fuel10k and Merchant Gourmet, our portfolio is packed with iconic favourites — and continues to grow.

At Premier Foods, we're passionate about creating food that makes every day taste better. Behind many of the UK's best-loved brands is an ambitious R&D team dedicated to developing innovative products, enhancing existing favourites, and delivering exceptional quality for consumers.

We're looking for an R&D Technologist to join our Worksop team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with a passion for food innovation who wants to play a key role in taking products from concept through to commercial launch, working closely with colleagues across Operations, Marketing, Procurement, Quality and Supply Chain.

What you'll be doing?

As an R&D Technologist, you'll support a diverse portfolio of innovation, renovation and cost optimisation projects, ensuring our products meet consumer expectations, food safety standards and commercial objectives.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing new products aligned with category growth and innovation strategies.
• Managing multiple development projects from concept through to launch.
• Creating formulations, recipes, specifications and technical documentation.
• Leading laboratory, kitchen, pilot plant and factory trials.
• Supporting product reformulation projects to improve quality, nutrition, sustainability and cost effectiveness.
• Troubleshooting processing and quality challenges during scale-up.
• Conducting sensory assessments, benchmarking and product evaluations.
• Researching emerging ingredients, technologies and consumer trends.
• Ensuring compliance with food safety, legal and customer requirements.
• Building strong relationships with suppliers, manufacturing teams and technical partners.

What we're looking for?

We're looking for someone who combines technical expertise with curiosity, creativity and a genuine passion for food.

You’ll ideally have:

• Experience in food product development within an FMCG or manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of food processing, ingredients and product formulation.
• Understanding of food safety, quality and regulatory requirements.
• Strong problem‑solving and critical‑thinking skills.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• A collaborative approach and confidence working with cross‑functional teams.
• A commercial mindset and passion for delivering products consumers love.
• The drive to continuously learn, challenge the status quo and bring fresh ideas to the table

What we offer you in return?

• Up to 7.5% pensionand life assurance
• Sharesave scheme and the option to purchase additional holiday
• Extensive learning and development opportunities
• Access to a wide employee discount scheme

At Premier foods we believe in inclusion, authenticity and individuality. We aim to ensure all existing and future colleagues are given equitable opportunities and are respected, valued and encouraged to bring their true authentic selves to work no matter who they are, what they look like, who they love or what they believe in. Our culture is one where everyone is welcome.

We're proud to be a Disability Smart employer and are committed to supporting disability inclusion throughout our recruitment process. If you experience any access issues or require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know so we can ensure you have the support you need.